Preview

Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe: Character Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
940 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe: Character Analysis
was your first friend? How about your first love? Ari finds both at the same time and through the same person. In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz, Aristotle is the average angry, done with life teenager that lives in El Paso Texas. He is friendless, miserable, and spends his days thinking about his brother in jail. He also suffers from low self esteem. However this all changes when he meets Dante at a pool one fateful summer day. Dante is happy, fun loving, free spirited, creative, and confident. However he is a loner in his own right. The two cannot be more different. Somehow though when they meet they form a close bond. This bond causes problems for Ari. Over the course of the book Ari learns …show more content…
“It was strange to feel like the Ari I used to be. Expect that wasn’t totally true. The Ari I used to be didn’t exist anymore. And the Ari I was becoming? He didn’t exist yet.” (Saenz 189) Ari is changing and this is caused after he saved Dante’s life. When he finally got his cast removed he realized that things have changed for him. He no longer was the only person he cared for. He risked his life to save Dante, Dante mattered more to him than he could understand. “‘And why would you beat the holy crap out of a guy who hurt him? All your instincts, Ari, all of them tell me something. You love that boy. I think you love him more than you can bear.” (Saenz 349). Ari finds his first love, Dante. He realizes that he does not need to be alone in the world, that he cares for someone. As the books comes to an end Ari realizes that he truly loves Dante. He realizes that all the answers he was seeking were right there. They were answered by Dante. He was freed by loving Dante, he was no longer hiding.
“This was what was wrong with me. All this time I had been trying to figure out the secrets of the universe, the secrets of my own body, of my own heart. All of the answers had always been so close and yet I had always fought them without even knowing it. From the minute I’d met Dante, I had fallen in love with him. I just didn’t let myself know it, think it, feel it. I was free. Imagine that. Aristotle Mendoza, a free man. I wasn’t afraid anymore. How could I have ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana?” (Saenz
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of Dante's Inferno
    • 242 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis Of Dante's Inferno

    In my opinion i think that Gustave Dore's is best to illustrate Dante's Inferno. In the 9 circles of hell it talks about evil gruesome torments and Dore’s pictures best fit the description of dark and evil.…

    • 242 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dante's Social Role
    • 159 Words
    • 1 Page

    Dante's Social Role

    Dante was born in Florence in 1265 and his family was said to come from the ancient seed of the Romans, founders of Florence (Inf. XV, 73-78). According to Dante, his great-grandfather Cacciaguida (Par. XV, 130-148) was knighted by the Emperor Conrad III, dying subsequently in the Holy Land during the Second Crusade. Dante was known as one of the most famous authors of the Middle Ages, whose relevant works are still today studied by many scholars, members of various societies of Dante that are located in all place of the world. As already underlined by the works of Dante's interpreters, his works show how deeply the poet felt the social role of the artist and how deeply he was involved in the political-philosophical debate of his century,…

    • 159 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    The Inferno is a work that Dante used to express the theme on his ideas of God's divine justice. God's divine justice is demonstrated through the punishments of the sinners the travelers encounter.
    • 2632 Words
    • 9 Pages

    The Inferno is a work that Dante used to express the theme on his ideas of God's divine justice. God's divine justice is demonstrated through the punishments of the sinners the travelers encounter.

    Siegal, Lee. "Out of the dark wood: Dante and the subversive ego" Harper 's Magazine. May…

    • 2632 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Few Words on Dante's Inferno
    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages

    A Few Words on Dante's Inferno

    Midway on his journey through life, Dante realizes he has taken the wrong path. He is lucky. Many of those on the wrong path in their own lives have started on that same path on which they will also end; Dante realizes his error and, in attempting to set himself back on the right path, he goes on an important journey. Like those who also stray from their "right" path, this poet must embark on a fantastic and terrifying journey of exploration and self discovery.…

    • 1072 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Virgil Analysis of Dante Inferno
    • 2195 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Virgil Analysis of Dante Inferno

    Virgil came to be regarded as one of Rome's greatest poets. His Aeneid can be considered a national epic of Rome and has been extremely popular from its publication to the present day.…

    • 2195 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dantes Inferno Essay
    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Dantes Inferno Essay

    In the Inferno, mutilation is the most common way for those in hell to be given the ineluctable punishment for their sins. Mutilation is an act or physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of the body. Mutilation is both used in the inferno as a way to cause physical pain to those in hell, but the form of mutilation used on the sinners is also a form of emotional torture because it pertains directly to their sin. Because mutilation is used so frequently in the inferno Dante must use varying ways to depict the mutilation that is forced on the sinners. Dante uses vivid imagery, Homeric similes, and symbolism to help develop the theme of mutilation as he travels through the Inferno.…

    • 476 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Dante Essay Ap
    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Dante Essay Ap

    Dante's Divine Comedy is a moral comedy that is designed to make the readers think about their own morals. The poem could have been used almost as a guide for what and what not to do to get into Heaven for the medieval people. Dante takes the reader on a journey through the "afterlife" to imprint in the readers’ minds what could happen to them if they don't follow a Godlike life and to really make the reader think about where they will go when they die and where they would like to go when they die. In the Divine Comedy, Dante uses his imagination and his knowledge of the people's perception of the "afterlife" to create a somewhat realistic yet somewhat imaginary model of the afterlife.…

    • 1023 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Dante's Inferno Research Paper
    • 1408 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Dante's Inferno Research Paper

    While he stands in peril, Dante wishes that each individual would put themselves in the same position as the aforementioned, as all of mankind knows some form of sin, and also wanders lost in a dark wood. Before achieving moral redemption, an individual must take a hard look at evil both in the world and in himself. Only by confronting inner evil can people achieve self-knowledge, which is the first step toward redemption.…

    • 1408 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Ultimate Duality In Dante's Inferno
    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Ultimate Duality In Dante's Inferno

    At first glance, The Inferno and the 1001 Nights, these two notorious ancient text could not be more different. The Inferno is a Christian based allegorical poem written during the 14th- century medieval period, which describes Dante’s journey through the nine levels of hell and how to find the right path of life in a world full of sin and evil. On the other hand, the 1001 Nights is Muslim based folk tales and fables that were collected over many centuries by various translators, scholars, and authors which told about animals, morality, the jinn (demon/ghost), deceit, betrayal, and faith. Surprisingly both texts depict instances of injustice, the passing of judgment, and how to come to an understanding…

    • 1502 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Divine Comedy Hell Analysis
    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Divine Comedy Hell Analysis

    Finally, reaching the journey’s end in The Divine Comedy III: Paradise, Dante is overjoyed to finally achieve the knowledge and perception of what is beyond himself. Realizing that God becomes the agent brings harmony to the soul. Being humble and willing to soak in His light, starts to reflect deep within the soul when achieved. When Dante expresses “Then she began: All beings great and small, Are linked in order; and this orderliness, Is form, which stamps God’s likeness on the All.” The realization that He is “The Light” gives us the comfort and warmth needed to excel in the journey back to…

    • 430 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Dante's View Of Fame
    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Dante's View Of Fame

    Dante continually emphasizes the significance of fame throughout the epic. Souls frequently ask Dante to remember their names and to talk about them on earth, and on many occasions Dante promises to do so in return for information. Likely the most recurrent scene in the Inferno involves identifying or naming. Dante and Virgil are repeatedly asked to identify themselves, and conversely, they themselves often identify and ask about specific sinners. A few of these already have fame, like Jason (the mythological hero,) but many are plainly Italian citizens whose identities are preserved via Dante’s words. The notion of fame is significant in the epic because it puts forth a type of immortality, a minor recompense for the eternity of misery that…

    • 295 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Dante Essay
    • 664 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Dante Essay

    The Inferno by Dante Alighieri written around the fourteenth century depicts the three sins; treachery, greed, and violence which are relevant in today’s society.…

    • 664 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe Analysis
    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe Analysis

    In the Novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Sàenz there are many recurring motifs. Two of the most repetitive and meaning full were the sparrows and the desert. In the book, sparrows represent the loss of Aristotle's childhood and innocence while the Desert represents his personality.…

    • 364 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Edmund Dantes Inferno Analysis
    • 228 Words
    • 1 Page

    Edmund Dantes Inferno Analysis

    This movie is about the story of Edmund Dantes who is being imprisoned more than a decade. He is innocent from the crime that they are accusing to him. After so many years, he got a chance to escape and get revenge to those people behind his sufferings in life.…

    • 228 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Comparing Dante's Inferno, And Decameron
    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Comparing Dante's Inferno, And Decameron

    Instead of respecting Boca’s decision not to share his misfortune in its entirety, Dante physically attacks Boca by grabbing his neck and pulling his hair. This evil behavior provokes the reader into considering that maybe Dante should be in Hell and Boca should not, especially since all he does in response is squeal rather than fight. Again, the distinction between earth and hell is questionable. The behavior of individuals in these two realms illustrates the interchangeability of evil and good in both spheres, suggesting that conventional distinctions may be artificial in significance. Though earth and hell differ in physical location (clearly Dante can leave hell and return to earth), the morality of both places can be quite similar. The reason this critique is more subtle than those of Montaigne and Boccaccio is that Dante does not explicitly state his disapproval of his own behavior, he simply illustrates it and allows his reader to assess. Some may consider Dante’s aggression to be in accordance with God’s wishes, meaning that Dante’s evil tendencies correspond to God’s relative placement of his victims in Hell. Interpreting this story in light of Francesca’s, however, leads one to believe that Dante is following the pattern of linking two seemingly polar realms of existence and making his reader question the validity of such a moral…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics